Company
by propinatio
Summary: Waiting is pain. Living forever is a curse. Merlin has lived too alone for too long. While he waits for his King to return, it might be nice to have some company. And possibly closure.


**AN: We all saw the finale, we all saw how Merlin waited. Well, this is just a one-shot that was floating around in my head and I hope it softens the ending of Merlin. Gives a little bit of hope. **

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It was a beautiful day, and he tried to appreciate the beauty of nature surrounding him. Tried being the key word. For however many years he'd walked the earth and waited for his King to rise once again, he couldn't feel anything. He felt broken. Useless.

He sat alone on his park bench - no longer under the disguise of Dragoon but that of the young servant who had sacrificed his king - and watched people milling about. A child's laugh caught his attention as a young blond boy ran across his field of view. He watched with curiosity as a young father and mother chased after the boy.

He sucked in a breath when the boy picked up a long twig and began using it as a sword. He wondered if this was what Arthur had been like as a child, carelessly swinging any object around as he pretended to be a great knight. A small smile came upon his face as the boy pretended to fight his father who fell causing the boy to begin cheering when he thought he'd slain a terrible beast.

The smile fell from his face when the family set upon their original path to leave the park, and his view. He watched them walk happily together, his thoughts turning dark, as his hope was once again lost. He hadn't known Arthur as a child, but he so wished they could have spent more time together.

Their time was short. Their destiny was cruel.

A coffee cup was shoved in front of his face, blocking the park from view.

"Don't speak to me until you've had a coffee." A smooth voice ordered as the person holding the beverage sat down beside him dangling it for him to take. He took the coffee with slight reluctance, but soon enjoyed the heat seeping into his cold hands.

"Thank you." He whispered quietly before taking a sip and leaning back into the bench. "Why are you here, Morgana?"

Merlin felt her shrug beside him. He glanced at her with a raised brow – unknowingly mimicking Gaius' expression perfectly - which brought a fond smile to her face, "Keeping you company." She replied simply, turning back to the view and sipping her own coffee.

"I don't need it."

"Yes, you do." She sighed heavily, "You've lived too long, Merlin."

"And you haven't lived long enough." Merlin snapped glaring at her. Morgana took a deep breath and turned to face the exhausted warlock.

"He will return, Merlin." Morgana told him firmly. Merlin sighed looked down at the ground unable to meet her eyes, not anting her to see the despair and lost hope etched on his face. "You told me yourself. When the world needs him, he will rise again." She placed a comforting hand on his leg, a silent show of support. One Merlin felt he didn't deserve, least of all from her.

"When the world needs him." Merlin spat at the ground bitterly. "I need him." He whispered dejectedly, losing all anger in those three words. He hadn't admitted aloud, trying to stay strong for the sake of his long life, yet hearing them tore his heart once again.

Morgana shuffled closer and wound an arm around his shoulders, pulling his head down to rest upon her shoulder. Merlin succumbed to his dark thoughts in Morgana's embrace. Silent tears leaked from his blue eyes onto her black coat. He felt her hands winding around him, showing him that he had someone.

Morgana's return had shocked him, but when she stopped him in the streets one day saying "Hello Emrys." He thought that he might actually die of shock. Quickly thinking her a threat he began to re-assert himself as the once feared Emrys, before her small laugh had shocked him again. Not as much as the next words she'd spoken, "I'm not here to fight, Merlin." She'd told him, the honesty shining through her jade eyes, "I'm here to help."

It had taken him a few weeks, with run-ins and short conversations until he began to trust this Morgana.

"He will return. You know how he is, always taking his sweet time with everything." Morgana said softly in hopes of lightening the situation. Merlin hiccupped a laugh and thought back to his old serving days and Arthur's lack of time management.

As Merlin slowly pulled out of her hold, Morgana's hand covered his cheek and began to wipe away the evidence of his hopelessness. Her thumb brushed over the dark circles under his eyes, "You should go home. Get some sleep." She told him genuinely caring for his health.

It worried her how utterly exhausted he looked every time they met. It seemed that a long life was not the prized ability it was thought to be. But she knew the exhaustion was mainly a physical representation of his thoughts and the toll they were taking.

"Why are you so nice?" Merlin asked simply, his brow furrowed as his blue eyes searched her face for an answer. He was reluctant to admit but she still looked as beautiful as she had long ago in Camelot. Gone was the crazy need for vengeance, leaving the old Morgana in her place.

"Death does that to people." Morgana replied with a sad smirk. "Plus I met a few many people who weren't exactly happy with what I had done on the other side. Most of them your friends."

"Whatever they said-" Merlin automatically began to apologise for their behaviour but Morgana stopped him with a raised hand.

"I more than deserved their grief, for I caused most of it. I spent a long time with them, Merlin. Long enough to get closure for my actions against them and slowly gain their forgiveness. Which is more than I deserve but apparently I wasn't finished." Morgana stated before finishing her coffee.

"Weren't finished? With what?" Merlin inquired as he rose from the bench to stare down at her. He was worried that she still had some plan of revenge she wanted to inflict upon him. Preparing himself for the worst he felt his long dormant magic bubbling beneath his skin once again.

"Closure." Morgana answered. "There was one person I was unable to find closure with, because he was ridiculously stubborn and wouldn't die."

Merlin tilted his head before his eyes widened in realisation, "Me?"

"No, my neighbour Mrs Hull." Morgana said with a roll of her eyes.

"How do you plan on getting your closure with me?" Merlin asked, seating himself once again, curious as to what she planned.

Morgana shrugged once again, "I'm not sure, but I have a suspicion." She sent him a smirk as he waited for her to elaborate.

"Oh, come on. Tell me already."

"You're a patient man, you've waited this long. I'm sure a few more minutes won't harm you."

"Morgana." Merlin whined. Morgana fought hard to keep her smirk hidden but seeing Merlin pouting childishly at her she couldn't help herself from answering.

"To keep you company while you wait." She said.

"I don't need company." Merlin told her sullenly.

"Yes, you do. You've been alone too long. I don't mind waiting with you." She commented nonchalantly.

"It could take a long time, it's already been a long time." Merlin warned her sternly.

"Somehow, I get the feeling it may be closer than you think." Merlin's face lit up at her words. The shine of hope returned to his blue eyes that had been dull and lifeless for too long.

"He's coming back?" Merlin felt overjoyed. "Did you see something? Did you dream it?" His hands clamped on Morgana's shoulders as he questioned her energetically. All the while a fond smile never fell from her face.

"I didn't see anything. My powers are no longer what they once were. Consider it a gut instinct. It maybe years, days, centuries or hours but he will come back, Merlin. You can't loose hope again." Morgana told him cupping his cheeks and staring at him until he nodded.

Slowly they returned to their normal positions upon the bench, although Merlin kept her hand tightly in his grip.

"I'm sorry."

"Merlin, stop apologising. I forgave you long ago."

"I haven't forgiven myself." He mumbled looking down, again. A squeeze of his hand brought his gaze up to Morgana's.

"Maybe that's also why I'm here. To help _you_ find closure."

"Why you?"

"Who better than your ex-mortal enemy?" Morgana quipped haughtily, looking like the ward of the king from centuries ago.

"Who better, indeed." Merlin replied with a fondness he hadn't felt in years seeping into his voice.

Maybe now that he had company, the wait wouldn't be so painful. He turned his eyes to Morgana as she watched people walking through the park, each in a world of their own, not knowing that two of the most powerful people to ever walk this land were but a few feet away.

Merlin felt something shift. He wasn't sure what, but wriggling about on the bench he felt loose, like a rope around his chest had been loosened, allowing him to breath more easily. For a few moments Merlin did nothing but close his eyes and breath in the cool, crisp London air.

As he opened his eyes, the world seemed brighter, more alive than before. Then he felt it. Everything.

He remembered describing to Arthur the feel of the world around him. That it vibrated with life. And now as he sat next to Morgana and waited for Arthur, that feeling returned.

A feeling he had lost along the way. A feeling he hadn't known he was missing.

But maybe that was all he needed. All that was needed for him to hope.

All that was needed for Arthur to return.

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**AN: Hope you like it. **

**Review, tell me what you think.**


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